Jay season ends at regional

MUNCIE — The Patriots knew a trip to the semi-state was probably out of the realm of possibility. Still, they entered Saturday’s regional race with personal goals in terms of time.
It just wasn’t their day.
The season came to an end for Jay County High School’s cross country teams as Alex LeMaster, Skyler Myers and Gabby Kunkler all finished outside the top 60 in the regional meet hosted by Delta at Muncie SportsPlex.
Despite the finality of the result, coach Kurt Hess felt the meet was a positive experience.
“If we can try to start at those times next year instead of ending the season at those times, that would be ideal,” he said.
Pendleton Heights dominated the meet, taking both team titles. Faith Baer of the Arabians won the girls individual crown in 19 minutes, 1.6 seconds, and Anderson Prep’s Michael Taylor was the boys champion in 15:45.7.
The top five teams and top 20 individuals not on qualifying teams advance to the semi-state, which will be held Oct. 22 at IPFW. Other teams qualifying for semi-state were Blue River, Mount Vernon, Wapahani and Delta for the boys, and Yorktown, Randolph Southern, Mount Vernon and Delta for the girls.
LeMaster and Myers tried to hang with the middle of the pack early Saturday, with the former 49th out of 90 runners at the mile mark and the latter 56th. They faded as the race went on, sitting 55th and 64the at the 2-mile mark.
LeMaster turned in the top finish for the Patriots as he hustled to the finish line in a three-way race for 60th. He crossed three tenths of a second behind Michael Boylan of Burris in 18:42.3 for 61st place. Franklin’s Braxten McAdams was a half-second back in 62nd.
Myers, who led JCHS at the sectional meet on the same course a week earlier, followed in 70th in 19:11.3.
“The guys I know had a goal of being in the 17s, under 18,” said Hess. “They just didn’t quite get it done.
“I know Skyler at the beginning got caught up in a pack of guys he couldn’t really get around. That might have thrown him off a little.
“They both started off probably a little stronger than their used to, the adrenaline and trying to keep in the middle of the pack or toward the front”
Kunkler was in a similar position in the girls race as she ran her fastest mile split of the year to start the race. But that pace was difficult to keep up the rest of the way.
The junior ended up 76th in 24:53.6.
“it was probably just having a different pace than what’s she’s used to,” said Hess of the junior who ran the reverse strategy a week early, coming on strong late to earn her team’s lone regional berth. “It kind of screwed her up at the middle and the end.”